Due to the success of last year’s bake sale – DAM is proud to present the DAM 2012 Bake Sale!

Last year’s bake sale helped us start our journey towards renewal and helped raise money
towards our outstanding debt with SLA HQ. We made some major progress, but we aren’t quite
there yet!

In order to continue our renewal process, and facilitate our proposed 2013 merger with the
Business and Finance Division, we are hoping that our members will continue to help us on our
road to recovery. DAM will remain a separate entity within B&F, and as such, any money raised
this year will help us enter into this partnership on a more equal footing.

If all of our members and friends can give us a little something, it would help immensely; help
us to develop, grow, and remain dedicated to our DAM members. In light of our future, we
formally invite you to this year’s exciting…

Division of Advertising and Marketing

VIRTUAL BAKE SALE!

The Advertising & Marketing Division’s year-end financial reports have been compiled, audited, and filed with SLA HQ (prior to the January 31st deadline)!

Tom Rink, Treasurer

• Meet Your Editors
• Message from the Chair
  
• Treasurer’s Report
  
• Annual Business Meeting & Breakfast
  
• Census Spotlight
  
• Member News
  

Download the PDF version of the Bulletin.

We want to extend a hearty thanks to Dru Frykberg for her excellent work on the Bulletin for the last few years. We are eager to continue on in her footsteps.

Of course, the Bulletin is nothing without the DAM members who read it and generate ideas for content. Toward that end, we encourage you to write for us, or if writing is not your thing, share your ideas with us.

We want to hear about what you are doing in your workplace, interesting resources or ideas you have discovered, as well as celebrate your successes with job changes, published articles or awards you have received.

In particular, we are looking for volunteers for a Day in the Life series – we want to find out what you do, how you do it and hope that you will consider sharing your experiences with other DAM members.

Please don’t hesitate to contact any of us – we are looking forward to hearing from you and making the Bulletin part of our thriving Division of SLA.

This edition of the Bulletin includes important updates from the Division Chair and Treasurer, as well as a new column on statistics by Co-Editor Roger Magnus.

We also want to draw your attention to the DAM Member Survey – please take a few minutes to complete the survey so the Division can better understand who you are and how to better serve you.

Jo-Ann, Roger and Stan.

Jo-Ann McQuillan is Director of Information & Communications and Privacy Officer at the Institute of Communication Agencies (ICA) in Toronto, a position she has held for over 10 years. At the ICA, Jo-Ann manages the library, primary and secondary research services, publishing initiatives, and edits three newsletters. Jo-Ann has been an active SLA member, chairing the Advertising and Marketing Division in 2005 and editing the Toronto Chapter newsletter, the Courier, from 2003 to 2005. Jo-Ann lives outside Toronto with her husband and daughter, and is an obsessive bibliophile and art collector.

Roger Magnus is the owner of Roger Magnus Research and a former Business Librarian, Demographics Librarian, and Research Analyst (creating population estimates).  In addition to being a Co-Editor of the SLA-DAM Bulletin, Roger recently served on the SLA-DAM committee that created the membership survey and is active with SLA-Boston. He lives in Amherst, Massachusetts and is an avid runner and tennis player.

Stan Friedman is the Senior Research Librarian for Conde Nast and is now in his 16th year with the company. In addition to his co-editor duties for DAM,  Stan currently serves as webmaster for the SLA-NY chapter. His cookbook reviews appear regularly in the pages of Publishers Weekly and his contributions to Library Journal include the July 2011 cover story on the New York Public Library’s centennial gaming event, “Find the Future.” Find him on Twitter at @StanfordF.

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October 2011

It wasn’t very long ago that I worried about DAM’s future. While the board was moving forward with our plan for consolidating and paying down the Division debt, it didn’t look as if we could sustain DAM in the long term. Without the necessary volunteers and enthusiasm to implement projects and board succession planning, the situation looked pretty grim.

Earlier this year, the board was so concerned that I put out a call to DAM members – and the response was amazing. I received so many offers to volunteer that we currently have a nearly-full committee roster. At our annual business meeting in Philadelphia, it became clear that our members weren’t going to just sit back and watch the Division disappear. The main topic of discussion at that meeting was the “New DAM” – where you get lots of value for your membership.

The last piece of the puzzle is a 2012 Chair-elect. As I write this, DAM still needs someone to lead and help our Division grow. Please contact me if you’re interested in serving, or if you know someone who might.

Best regards,

Marcy Phelps
mphelps@phelpsresearch.com

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More than half of our members are paying dues at the $185 rate (which will reduce the allotment received by 7%).  By voluntarily opting to pay $15 more (at the $200, “Full Member AP” rate), members in the AM category can help both SLA and the Division by qualifying us for the full allotment amount ($12.00 instead of $11.16) based upon this higher membership level (AP).

Financial greetings from your Treasurer!

The Division’s financial situation is improving, but we still have a ways to go to be completely debt free.

• Our current liabilities are at $7,745.71 (down from the $15,906.71 in June 2010).  Still outstanding:
• SLA Loan ($,7,745.71)
• We currently have $1,275.63 in our checking account and the latest quarterly statement received (6/30/2011) showed $30.99 in our pooled fund account.
• Our successes since June 2010 include:
• We have already repaid 52.3% of our debt (payments totaling $8,161.00).
• We have paid off our 2008 Annual Conference invoice ($2,928.50).
• We have paid off our 2009 Annual Conference Invoice ($3,377.75).
• We have paid our 2010 Annual Conference Invoice ($1,232.50).
• We have paid our 2011 Annual Conference Invoice ($584.91).
• We received additional donations to date totaling $4,825.00.
• A big thanks to all who participated in our Virtual Bake Sale: Robin Feuerstein, Alisa Coddington, Terese Terry, Factix Research, Reece Dano, Mary Ellen Bates, Ann Sweeney, Carole Goldstein, Susan Berkman, Marcie Phelps, and Tom Rink.
• We received conference sponsorships totaling $2,750.00.
• A big thanks to Geographic Research, Marketresearch.com, Proquest/Dialog, and EBSCO for their support of this year’s Annual Conference programming.
• We received our allotment this year ($1,515.09 after conference expenses were deducted) which was applied directly to our outstanding debt.  However, in 2012, the formula for dispensing allotments will be changing (see the details below) and it looks like we may only get between $1,500.00 and $1,550.00 in 2012 based upon our existing divisional membership categories .
• Once again, in 2011 our income will exceed our expenses!

Formula for Allotments Changing in 2012!

In Philadelphia the Board of Directors approved an adjustment to how the unit allotments are calculated.  In 2012, a new method of calculating allotments will be implemented: units will receive an amount for each of their members that is proportional to that member’s dues rate.  We will all share in equal proportion the amount of dues revenue that we receive.

For instance, a member paying $200 for their basic dues will earn today’s full allotment rate for each of his/her units:  $14.40 for a chapter, $12.00 for a division and $7.20 for a caucus.  A member at the $185 rate will pass through 93% of the full allotment to the units (since $185 is 93% of $200), so the amounts would be $13.39 for chapters, $11.16 for divisions and $6.69 for caucuses.  And so on.  (See detailed chart at end of message.)

The Board also voted to eliminate the minimum dues allotment.  This action will primarily affect smaller chapters (no divisions currently receive the minimum allotment).  Here is a chart the shows what the proposed allotments will be in 2012 (based upon your dues rate).

*Organizational members will be calculated at this rate.

**Life, honorary and retired-45 year members who pay no base dues will be calculated at this rate.

Here is a breakdown of our most current membership report (by membership category) and how it affects our allotment. Outside of fundraising (which is becoming more and more difficult in these harsh economic times), out allotment is what we use to fund our programs and activities throughout the year.

More than half of our members are paying dues at the $185 rate (which will reduce the allotment received by 7%).  By voluntarily opting to pay $15 more (at the $200, “Full Member AP” rate), members in the AM category can help both SLA and the Division by qualifying us for the full allotment amount ($12.00 instead of $11.16) based upon this higher membership level (AP).

About the Author: Tom Rink has been an Instruction Librarian at Northeastern State University since November of 2007.  Prior to landing in academia, he completed a 25-year career as a police officer in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  Tom has served as a Treasurer on numerous occasions (in SLA units [chapter and division] as well as in other organizations) and was on the SLA Board of Directors (Division Cabinet Past-Chair) when DAM’s current interim board was appointed.  In 2005, Tom was recognized by Library Journal and received their annual “Movers & Shakers” Award.

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Treasurer Tom Rink reported that DAM’s finances were gradually improving. Our debt continues to be repaid, with 22% eliminated so far. Sponsorships and fundraisers were successful in raising cash, and the Division has undertaken several cost-savings measures such as no or low speaking fees and foregoing awards and travel grants. All Division revenue is going toward debt repayment, and our plan is to be out of debt by 2014. See Tom’s full report here.

Marcy Phelps, Division chair, then provided an update on our volunteers. Marcy let everyone know that her recent call for volunteers was successful, and the new volunteers will help keep the Division viable. We do still need a Chair-elect for next year and, if this position cannot be filled before the end of 2011, DAM will not be able to continue as a Division.

Committee updates followed, and here are some of the highlights:

• Robin Feuerstein, Division Archivist, reported that the archives are in good shape and accessible for newsletter needs.
• Christina Rawlins, Membership Co-Chair, announced that she and Co-Chair Jennifer Sain have started sending welcome emails to all new Division members each month. She asked for members to send her any membership recruitment ideas.
• Krista Pegnetter, Vendor Relations Chair, reported that the Division received $2,750 in conference sponsorships this year. Krista is stepping down as Chair of this committee, and has volunteered to become DAM Secretary in 2012. Suzan Lee is the new Chair, and she will have others helping her on the committee.
• Webmaster Michelle Lazarus is working on completing the transfer of the DAM website to the new WordPress platform.
• Marcy reported that the Webinar Committee Chair had to step down. The Board changed this role to Professional Development Chair, and the goal of the new committee is to raise additional revenue for the Division through webinars, in-person workshops, or other professional development opportunities. While we have several willing members of this committee, we are still in need of a Chair.
• We now have three volunteers for the Bulletin Committee, which will help distribute some of the work involved. We are going to start selling advertising in the Bulletin, which can be put towards our debt repayment.

The discussion then moved on to Division viability. Marcy pointed out that the board had considered dissolving or merging with another division. However, SLA’s process for doing so makes it impossible to take any action until next year’s business meeting.  Because of the fact that we have recently filled nearly all our volunteer positions, the outlook for the Division is good, and we are optimistic that we can become a strong, viable Division.

A discussion was started about how we can improve member recruitment and retention. Suggestions included:

• Member stories about how DAM has benefited them should be featured in the Bulletin to help build the Division’s appeal.
• DAM’s small size should be emphasized as a benefit, because it allows for greater interaction with colleagues and leadership opportunities.
• The Division should reach out to student groups and other divisions to grow membership.
• Feature roundtable sessions (similar to the one featured at the Annual Conference) throughout the year via webinars.

The meeting was adjourned on an especially high note, since the consensus was that DAM is worth the effort and is on its way toward becoming a strong, viable Division.

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[Author Note:  This DAM Bulletin article is the first in a series intended to assist special librarians and information professionals who need pragmatic suggestions on how to use U.S. Census Bureau data to help their organizations answer questions, resolve problems, and make better decisions.  The Census Bureau is a massive operation that coordinates over 100 different data programs.  Thus, each Bulletin article will explore a different nuance, facet or issue with Census data in order to clarify, simplify, and promote their use.  I welcome your suggestions of what to cover in future Bulletin issues.]

ecennial Census (Decennial) data is mandated by the American Constitution, Article 1, Section 2, to be collected by the U.S. Census Bureau every 10 years and has been collected at the start of every decade (year ending in “0”) since 1790. These data offer a “snapshot” in time as of April 1^st of the United States’ population and are used for political apportionment and as numeric benchmarks to create population estimates for the remainder of the decade.  Various types of 2010 Census data are now being released through 2013.

American Community Survey (ACS), on the other hand, is a fairly recent Census phenomena phased in over the last ten years to replace the Decennial Census Long Form that was sent to 1 of 6 households in 2000 and in previous decades. The ACS is a  rolling monthly sample that is intended to provide more current data that are released in 1, 3, and 5 year averages (depending on the size of the geography).  Of particular note, this survey collects data from only 3 million households annually (or fewer than 1 of 40). Due to the significantly smaller sample size than the Census Long Form, each data point comes with an accompanying margin of error that must be used and accounted for in any calculations aggregating numbers (i.e. age ranges) or making comparisons (i.e. between years or geographies).

With these parameters in mind, the table below outlines a few fundamental considerations of when to use each:

For more information, please see:

Interactive Timeline – 2010 Census http://2010.census.gov/2010census/about/timeline-flash.php

Guidance for (ACS) Data Users http://www.census.gov/acs/www/guidance_for_data_users/guidance_main/

About the Author: As an independent demographics consultant,  Roger brings years of experience answering data questions and providing training on using Census Bureau products and other data sets.  He is available to help your library and organization learn more about using Census data and can be reached at magnurog@yahoo.com

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Congratulations to Marcy Phelps on her new book: Research on Main Street

New and Returning DAM Members
(March 2011 to September 2011)

• Carolyne Anderson
• Samuel Anderson Retired
• Martha Battles Joele Frank Wilkinson Brimmer Katch
• Mark Boutros
• Elizabeth Brooks
• Erin Brown Leo Burnett (Chicago)
• Susan Burke Association of National Advertisers
• Qraig De Groot
• Laurie Donnelly
• Kimberly Engelkes
• Jennifer Gannod
• Esther Gil University of Denver
• Joshua Gish Leo Burnett (Chicago)
• Jane Greenstein Genex
• Michele Lucero LA Law Library
• Jessica Luet
• Joyce Magruder Turner Broadcasting
• Mary McGregor Syracuse University
• Rossi Morris EBSCO
• Nuchine Nobari Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge
• Patricia Presti University of Guelph
• Toni Rodriguez San Jose State University
• Teresa Sakurada Starr Ed LLC
• Lynn Schlesinger Infotrieve, Inc.
• Stacy Shannon VOX Medica
• Steven Swartz Geographic Research, Inc.
• Jason Ward Marketresearch.com
• Patrick  Wiliams Practical Law Company

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